what do baby leopard geckos eat

What Do Baby Leopard Geckos Eat?

Written by: Josiah Shobayo
Last updated on:

You may want to keep a reptile pet, and the leopard gecko seems the right choice. However, the stress of feeding comes to mind and you get confused all over again. Don’t worry, we’ve got you! This article will help you effectively understand the feeding of baby leopard geckos. Keep reading to find out what baby leopard geckos eat. 

What Do Baby Leopard Geckos Eat?

Baby leopard geckos are voracious predators and eaters. As long as they are can hunt down their prey, they can eat them. Baby leopard geckos eat a wide range of other animals. Examples of their wide palette include–  beetles, scorpions, rats, cricket, tiny snakes, and other smaller lizards. 

As earlier said, baby leopard geckos are very active hunters, unlike other lizards. Therefore, rather than waiting and letting their meal pass them by, baby leopard geckos will go after and hunt down their meal. Also, their great sight is beneficial in helping them track and methodically stalk their prey.  

Baby leopard geckos wag or violently vibrate their tail when hunting, as result, this instills fear in their prey, making it easy for them to scare their prey into surrender. However, as pets, the lack of activity makes them prone to obesity. But baby leopard geckos need to be fed regularly to help them grow since they are in their development phase.

Therefore, to prevent obesity, their food component has to be observed in other to prevent obesity.

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What Are The Diet Content Of Baby Leopard Geckos?

 The diet of baby leopard geckos should be well-balanced and all-encompassing. A Safe option for baby leopard geckos is crawling food options. Examples of crawling food options for baby leopard geckos include– crickets, hornworms, mealworms, waxworms, cockroaches, and so many more.

However, when feeding your baby leopard gecko, nutrition is not the only consideration. For instance, roaches and mealworms are preferred options to house crickets. This is because house crickets are very noisy and messy for baby leopard geckos to eat but they still eat them anyways. 

Waxworms, on the other hand, are high in fat and low in protein, therefore they are not a suitable regular feeding option. However, since baby leopard geckos in their natural habitat will consume a variety of animals, it is essential as their owner to replicate this wide range of eating patterns as much as possible. 

Also, keeping an eye on the nutritional value of insects that you feed them is very essential.

What Is The Eating Volume Of Baby Leopard Geckos?

Generally, leopard geckos are voracious eaters and they have a fast metabolism that helps them digest their food quickly. However, feeding baby leopard geckos should be done more often than adult ones. This is because they are in their growth and development process, therefore they require more food. 

It is preferred to feed baby leopard geckos once a day, and as many crickets and other insects as they can consume within 10 minutes. However, Feeding Nature says that after 10 minutes, leftovers should be removed. When it comes to food acceptance, baby leopard geckos are more hesitant to collect their meals directly from their owners.

Therefore, providing them with an eating dish works better. However, take out any remaining food after ten minutes. As a result, feed them as many crickets and other crawling insects as they can consume within ten minutes.

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What Is The Eating Pattern Of Baby Leopard Geckos In The Wild?

According to Osama Z, a long-time pet reptile feeding researcher,  baby leopard geckos are insectivores, therefore, it is important to replicate this while feeding them. In the wild, baby leopard geckos will consume any insects they can find or hunt. However, most times their insect diet mostly depends on the insects close to their habitat. Therefore, insects like moths, spiders, all types of worms, grasshoppers, crickets, and so many more are a go-to food option.

Conclusion

As much as nutrition is not the only focus for feeding leopard geckos, baby leopard geckos should be taken care of differently. That is, the nutritional component of their meal should be highly considered. Feeding them once every day and trying as much as possible to replicate their insectivore eating pattern in the wild is essential to their growth.

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